Hi,
So I have owned three chinchillas for about 3 years now. I never had an issue with introducing these three to each other. Always smooth sailing with them. But I recently adopted a new chinchilla. I let her and my other three out to play, as we have always did with introducing a new chin. I provided a big pan for the four to take dust baths in together. Everything was going great and I was excited to see them all playing together with any issues.
So after about 2 hours of playing together, I saw the four all huddled together sleeping. I decided it was time for them to be put away. I placed my 3 into their cage and the new in her cage. All was fine for about an hour when I heard "barking". I went to check out what was going on. My three chinnies all turned against one another and were fighting and pulling chunks of fur out. The new one was in her cage standing on her hind legs hissing and barking as well as spraying... Like a King Cobra snake. After about 2 hours of calming down my three and having them love one another again, I went to check on the new one. She was still in cobra stance. I opened up her cage and she went straight for a bite attack. Since it was very late and I need to get some sleep for work, I just let her be. When I woke up in the morning and checked on her, she had managed to destroy her cage and throw all her food and hay out of the cage.
It's been about four days now and no progress. The tensions are lower and the new one is no longer destroying her cage or cobra striking. But she still wont get along with the others. I tried introducing her to one of my chins. This is always willing to make new friends so I thought she would be best. They were out together and occasionally hop past each other. No fighting. I kept them out for about an hour. So I decided to bring out another one of my chins. This one is shy and "afraidy cat". The new chin hopped up to her and they nose touched and they hopped on their merry ways. So they looked alright. But the new chin and the first chin that was out with her... no longer got along. The new one would chatter her teeth at the first one. That was about it. Nothing too serious. So because all three of them were running in a large open area they didn't really come up to each other. So I took my new chin and my afraidy cat chin into a smaller space. At first they hopped together checking out the new area. And then the new one went into cobra stance and started spraying. The other chin started chattering her teeth and leapt into my arms (which she always does when she's afraid and wants back in her cage). So I ended that and put all the chins into their separate cages.
I just want to know what else can be done. I just don't want to give up on my new chinnie.
So I have owned three chinchillas for about 3 years now. I never had an issue with introducing these three to each other. Always smooth sailing with them. But I recently adopted a new chinchilla. I let her and my other three out to play, as we have always did with introducing a new chin. I provided a big pan for the four to take dust baths in together. Everything was going great and I was excited to see them all playing together with any issues.
So after about 2 hours of playing together, I saw the four all huddled together sleeping. I decided it was time for them to be put away. I placed my 3 into their cage and the new in her cage. All was fine for about an hour when I heard "barking". I went to check out what was going on. My three chinnies all turned against one another and were fighting and pulling chunks of fur out. The new one was in her cage standing on her hind legs hissing and barking as well as spraying... Like a King Cobra snake. After about 2 hours of calming down my three and having them love one another again, I went to check on the new one. She was still in cobra stance. I opened up her cage and she went straight for a bite attack. Since it was very late and I need to get some sleep for work, I just let her be. When I woke up in the morning and checked on her, she had managed to destroy her cage and throw all her food and hay out of the cage.
It's been about four days now and no progress. The tensions are lower and the new one is no longer destroying her cage or cobra striking. But she still wont get along with the others. I tried introducing her to one of my chins. This is always willing to make new friends so I thought she would be best. They were out together and occasionally hop past each other. No fighting. I kept them out for about an hour. So I decided to bring out another one of my chins. This one is shy and "afraidy cat". The new chin hopped up to her and they nose touched and they hopped on their merry ways. So they looked alright. But the new chin and the first chin that was out with her... no longer got along. The new one would chatter her teeth at the first one. That was about it. Nothing too serious. So because all three of them were running in a large open area they didn't really come up to each other. So I took my new chin and my afraidy cat chin into a smaller space. At first they hopped together checking out the new area. And then the new one went into cobra stance and started spraying. The other chin started chattering her teeth and leapt into my arms (which she always does when she's afraid and wants back in her cage). So I ended that and put all the chins into their separate cages.
I just want to know what else can be done. I just don't want to give up on my new chinnie.
